Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2011 Jul;54(1):273-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2011.01.069. Epub 2011 Jun 8.

Thoracic sympathectomy for digital ischemia: a summary of evidence

Hans M E Coveliers  1 , Frank Hoexum, Johanna H Nederhoed, Willem Wisselink, Jan A Rauwerda
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Thoracic sympathectomy for digital ischemia: a summary of evidence

Hans M E Coveliers et al. J Vasc Surg. 2011 Jul.
Free article

Abstract

Background: Thoracic sympathectomy is used in the management of a variety of upper limb disorders. We have analyzed the evidence for thoracic sympathectomy in the management of digital ischemia.

Methods: We reviewed the English literature between 1980 and 2010. Our analysis included reports with the clinical end points of relief, recurrence of symptoms or healing of ulcers, or both. Primary Raynaud disease (PRD) and secondary Raynaud phenomenon (SRP) were analyzed separately.

Results: An initial postoperative positive effect was reported in 92% of PRD patients and in 89% of SRP patients. Long-term beneficial effect was 58% for PRD and 89% for SRP. Ulcer healing or improvement was achieved in 95%.

Conclusions: The available evidence suggests that thoracic sympathectomy has a role in the treatment of severe PRD and SRP, albeit with better results in SRP patients than in PRD patients. In case of digital ulceration, thoracic sympathectomy may maximize tissue preservation or prevent amputation.

PubMed Disclaimer